The present invention relates to a charger for a battery-operated surgical machine, having a housing containing the charging circuit and provided with at least one plug receptacle means for the battery component of the surgical machine. Such a charger is known (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,733).
The battery componet of a surgical machine, containing for example several nickel-cadmium cells, is typically readily detachable from the machine, being for example a part of the handle thereof. The battery drives an electric motor, which in turn drives a drill, cutter, grinder, etc. After a certain period of operation, the batteries require recharging. The battery component is thus removed from the machine housing and connected to the charger.
For surgical use, the battery component must function reliably. It must be assured that the battery component will not be exhausted during a surgical operation, because the operation, of course, cannot be required to be interrupted for battery recharging and then resumed. Of course, spare battery parts may be kept at hand, but even so there is a danger that they may be insufficiently charged, unless suitable precautions are taken.
Nickel-cadmium cells especially tend to be exhausted quickly if, after being charged repeatedly, they have not been discharged to below a certain level.